84 replies to this topic

[luxebo]

I know UI 2.0 isn't a pleasant UI as of right now, but I've got a quick couple questions on it. How can you check amount of MXP for mechs you don't own? How is the UI in general as of now? How do you set weapon groups for trials? It feels weird in usage, but it's good to know where everything is in general I guess. I would like to know the amount of MXP on mechs I don't earn and set weapon groups for trials.

Firestarter seems nice as an energy boat, what is the casual and competitive standpoints on it and the hero? Would this be recommended to a newer player?

How is the Stalker 3F©? Why did they replace the assaults again when they should've replaced the heavy for once? I know not many care for it, but it's slowness and XL and LRM's worry me a lot and I haven't tried it just yet. I'm checking it in a bit.

How are the new weapon modules? Those sound interesting, but probably not very useful. Are they needed/better than the actual pilot modules?

And how are the Turrets in Crimson Straits and River City Day? Are they helpful/gamechanging/etc?
Comments and answers appreciated.

Edited by luxebo, 01 April 2014 - 02:53 PM.

[Koniving]

Can't answer much here. But on the following points I'll help.

luxebo, on 04 February 2014 - 05:18 PM, said:

1) Firestarter seems nice as an energy boat, what is the casual and competitive standpoints on it and the hero? Would this be recommended to a newer player?

2) How is the Stalker 3F©? Why did they replace the assaults again when they should've replaced the heavy for once? I know not many care for it, but it's slowness and XL and LRM's worry me a lot and I haven't tried it just yet. I'm checking it in a bit.

3) And how are the Turrets in Crimson Straits and River City Day? Are they helpful/gamechanging/etc?
Comments and answers appreciated.

1) The firestarter is essentially a 35 ton mech with the standard potential of a 4 laser Jennergy with some ballistic hardpoints. Unlike said Jenner, it can aim left and right akin to a Commando. It can jump. It's slightly taller and thicker than a Spider. Yet still has less surface area than a Jenner. Its AC/20 barrel is the size of an AC/2 barrel on a Blackjack. As I'm not one to recommend light mechs to a new player, I certainly cannot say whether or not to recommend this mech. In theory it's no better or worse than a Spider-shaped Jenner F (the 6 energy Jenner). The cockpit view is pretty clear. It has the animations of a Centurion/Dragon.

2) The Stalker 3F(C) isn't that bad. It's your basic missile boat. Leave it to PGI, honestly with enough champion mechs in existence they should all get cycled each patch.

3) The turrets can be brutal. But while they seem to see 360 degrees, their vision is in a straight line from the turret to you. Just have something else in the way like a building and it stops tracking you. Trouble is, it'll track you once again soon as you can see it.

[luxebo]

Koniving, on 04 February 2014 - 06:19 PM, said:

Can't answer much here. But on the following points I'll help.

1) The firestarter is essentially a 35 ton mech with the standard potential of a 4 laser Jennergy with some ballistic hardpoints. Unlike said Jenner, it can aim left and right akin to a Commando. It can jump. It's slightly taller and thicker than a Spider. Yet still has less surface area than a Jenner. Its AC/20 barrel is the size of an AC/2 barrel on a Blackjack. As I'm not one to recommend light mechs to a new player, I certainly cannot say whether or not to recommend this mech. In theory it's no better or worse than a Spider-shaped Jenner F (the 6 energy Jenner). The cockpit view is pretty clear. It has the animations of a Centurion/Dragon.

2) The Stalker 3F© isn't that bad. It's your basic missile boat. Leave it to PGI, honestly with enough champion mechs in existence they should all get cycled each patch.

3) The turrets can be brutal. But while they seem to see 360 degrees, their vision is in a straight line from the turret to you. Just have something else in the way like a building and it stops tracking you. Trouble is, it'll track you once again soon as you can see it.

Thanks Koniving!
Looks like the Firestarter is good from the way you put it. The only thing I would concern about ballistics is that it can't fit XL and AC20 at the same time. It sounds like a good mech for scouting and anti-lights.
The Stalker I'm gonna have to try, not sure how it would be.
The turrets with med lasers don't sound very powerful, though maybe en-massed, while LRM turrets sound really powerful as the min range is small.
Gonna have to play a few games before I find out I guess, and I'm gonna have to see if the UI problems are solvable or if the weapon range modules are worth the heat or not.

[TercieI]

I respectfully disagree with Kon. I think the 3F(C) is a suicide box, especially for new players. Massive ghost heat trap and an XL in a completely locked Stalker? Especially since the loadout will be known to opposing players, they're going to die in droves to single ST loss.vv

[Koniving]

I had a twin AC/5 build and an AC/5 + AC/2 build.

This was the AC/5, AC/2 and 4 Small Laser build in an Assault on River City with the turrets.

[Koniving]

Terciel1976, on 04 February 2014 - 07:27 PM, said:

I respectfully disagree with Kon. I think the 3F© is a suicide box, especially for new players. Massive ghost heat trap and an XL in a completely locked Stalker? Especially since the loadout will be known to opposing players, they're going to die in droves to single ST loss.vv

Aside from it being the typical missile boat, yes there's that. No warning about the high heat of firing too many at once. XL engine is a matter of opinion; after all I had a 5 LRM-15 boat with an XL and no problem at all. But I also know what I'm doing.

I confess a new player might not even know what an LRM (long range missile) is let alone how to use it.

Remember though it was Luxebo who asked; he was a new player nearly a year ago. I answered him, not a new player, about the stalker.

Edited by Koniving, 04 February 2014 - 07:38 PM.

[TercieI]

Koniving, on 04 February 2014 - 07:37 PM, said:

But I also know what I'm doing.

Yes. Emphasis here. I think it's a bad build, but I think it's a terrible build for a new player.

[Zeriniel]

I told myself I wouldn't buy anymore MC until they at least got UI 2.0 out.
Well, they did, and I immediately bought some and bought the ember.
It more than makes up for my horrible purchase of the TDK, and being forced to get the Locust with my Overlord pack.
I haven't played a light mech really, since back in the ECMpocalypse of Ravens running around. Thought I was so awesome with my broken hit boxes and lack of HSR.

But I digress.

The Ember has gotten me back into light mechs, and I'm honestly impressed by it. Dueled a 6ML Jenner, and won. It was a bare knuckle down to the bones fight, which he lost by over heating so I could get that Coup D'Grace.

I run what appears to becoming the standard (4xML, 4xMG) with a 280XL, 2xJJ, 2 tons of MG ammo, and Three Heat Sinks.
Since I can't double basic it yet, it still runs hot, but give yourself some time to cool down by weaving through some terrain and you can come back in force.

The Machine Guns come in handy when you're high on heat and need to continue doing damage while cooling off.

And those poor Trial Stalkers. It's too easy to get behind them and just obliterate their rear, or even a side torso within the span of two ML bursts with constant MG fire.
That Stalker build was a horrible idea for a trial mech.

[Koniving]

On a side note: those of you who are on my list who want to adventure with an AC-totting Ember, drop me a line on the game. I'm trying to send out messages on the friends list and keep getting "unable to send message."

[Alaskan Nobody]

Koniving, on 04 February 2014 - 07:51 PM, said:

I'm trying to send out messages on the friends list and keep getting "unable to send message."

I have been having trouble with that as well - so far I have only been able to communicate with one guy - and then only when he was listed as "Mechlab" as opposed to "Online" or after we had grouped (which creates a group chat window instead of a personal chat)

On the other had it is much much easier to chat with multiple people now (or would be if any of them could hear me)

Due to the above "online" thing, and some people I am not sure were actually logged into the game, I am wondering if it includes those logged into the forums in it's list of "online".....

[luxebo]

I've finally tried the Stalker trial. While it can do tons of damage when chain fired, new players are really gonna be pained when using this mech. Not many Pugs like supporting missile boats.

[Victor Morson]

I think the Firestarter is going to be a great, great 'mech, and the Ember is likely going to be the most gimmicky of the bunch; but if you want to get what is probably the most effective MG 'mech that exists right now to mess with and gather some XP in anticipation of the other variants, sure, go for it.

One of the Firestarter variants is almost positively going to have 8 energy slots. This one is really going to be a contender for top dogfighter against the Jenner; I can't say for sure how it will play out, but it's definitely looking like a real winner of a chassis.

[Koniving]

Literally my first match with the new trial stalker.




Literally just happened. Was recording to teach new players about the ghost heat thing with it.

Second run, 1 kill, 5 assists, 411 damage on Forest Colony. The enemy did a cave and shore-rush blitzkrieg and literally bulldozed through the team. I lasted a bit more than 7 minutes. ECM made me have to dumbfire a few times but not as bad as the last match. That trial can heat up if you're not too careful. The Spider on my tail didn't help matters.

But that said, had enough for now. Converting the vids.

Edited by Koniving, 04 February 2014 - 09:09 PM.

[hippiass]

I'll have to go with saying the Ember should be saved for when one is much more accustomed to mech's in general. I kept the stock loadout on it and did pretty decent with one kill, several assists & decent damage. It just seems to handle like a brick.

Edited by hippiass, 04 February 2014 - 09:17 PM.

[Fang01]

C4 has a running contest to see who can post the highest damage in trial mechs so you know damned well that stalker was going to be the first thing I dropped in. Just like Kon said, Literally first drop:



Its a decent mech, just use her as shes intended and stay out of direct engagements and she'll treat you good.

And for the observant, YES somebody is still running ac40 cicada's

[TercieI]

hippiass, on 04 February 2014 - 09:16 PM, said:

I'll have to go with saying the Ember should be saved for when one is much more accustomed to mech's in general. I kept the stock loadout on it and did pretty decent with one kill, several assists & decent damage. It just seems to handle like a brick.

The stock load out is a part of that. That 210 engine is going to make it slow and unwieldy. It needs a near-max engine to shine.

It felt clunky to me but all my lights have been mastered for quite awhile, I'd sorta forgotten what a new one felt like. Still, I like. In a couple weeks when c-bill variants get here, it's going to be a lot of fun.

[luxebo]

Victor Morson, on 04 February 2014 - 08:45 PM, said:

I think the Firestarter is going to be a great, great 'mech, and the Ember is likely going to be the most gimmicky of the bunch; but if you want to get what is probably the most effective MG 'mech that exists right now to mess with and gather some XP in anticipation of the other variants, sure, go for it.

One of the Firestarter variants is almost positively going to have 8 energy slots. This one is really going to be a contender for top dogfighter against the Jenner; I can't say for sure how it will play out, but it's definitely looking like a real winner of a chassis.

Yeah, I've seen that thing do really well. The FS9-A has some torso mounted lasers and some main arm lasers (8 total), while the FS9-E has the MG slots as said, the FS9-H has some MG slots with 6 laser slots, the FS9-K has mostly arm lasers instead of torso lasers (another 8 total), and the FS9-S has dual ams along with 7 laser slots. Yeah, I think it's gonna be a really good light!

[IraqiWalker]

OP, I have two variants of the Ember (listed at the bottom), and both have served me well. I'm leaning more towards the Bravo set up honestly.

The Ember has great potential as far as lights go, I would wait until the rest of the variants are out so you can elite it immediately.

Personally, I bought it soon as I logged in, it's a Spider 5K on steroids, with the configuration of a commando. Every Firestarter variant carries a very good amount of energy weapons in it, the 9A has 8 I believe. The Ember is quite versatile and very fast. I have seen it running around with all sizes of ballistic weapons, but I enjoy the MGs the most on it.

1-EMBER Alpha
2-EMBER Bravo


Watch out for your heat, and do not neglect the Flamers as a viable set up. 4 Flamers on this thing will scare plenty of people, not to mention the heat damage you can wrack up fast. On Terra Therma if you have 4 Flamers, something is gonna get roasted, and it will die. When running in a 4 pack it's not unusual for one of the Embers to bring flamers to make sure our target can't see a thing and can't fire a weapon due to threat of over heating.

[Koniving]

At some point today I'll be uploading the vid. I'm actually quite thrilled to have a light mech that doesn't have to run 150 kph to survive. AC combinations give it great punch and not moving that fast gets me ignored quite frequently. I literally had an enemy spider coming in to attack some assaults with an ER PPC and he stops next to me, not even 50 meters away... just completely ignoring me.

Until twin AC/5s went into his backside. After the 30 damage (3rd volley) he reacted, but by then he was as good as dead.

So I don't have to edit the above. Vids. Not one but many.

(And he reacted at the first shot but must've thought it came from over there, as he moved into cover away from them, but I'm standing next to him completely ignored. So I shot him again. He stepped further into cover from -them- but I'm still right next to him. Funniest. Thing. Ever.)

[Koniving]

So anyway I uploaded the Wolverine Vid for Anger something. I quoted that person and put it in the original thread (Stalker/Centurion) for whoever wants to check out a Wolverine kicking some rear.

The first of the UI 2.0 vids is up at any moment (processing is taking a little long). It'll be here.

20:58 long, so if you click the Youtube button on the bottom right it'll open the page. There I already put in a comment with time indexes to specific moments if you're not a watch it through sort. Includes a quick jump to playing the Ember stock.

Note: I don't know why it is taking so long. As a consolation, here's the other vid in the other thread I mentioned while I try to find out what went wrong.

There was something wrong the file after several failed attempts. I reworked it and it should be uploading soon. The video has been relinked to the new one. Maybe soon?

Edited by Koniving, 05 February 2014 - 04:54 PM.